First Alert Forecast: Nolo will strengthen into a hurricane and slowly move north toward Hawaii Island

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Tracking Nolo: Hawaii Island needs to prepare now. The storm is moving west-northwest tonight but is expected to make a sharp turn north late tonight — putting the Big Island increasingly in the focus for Friday and Saturday.

Read more Tropical Storm Nolo holds, expected to turn northward, Hawaii County under hurricane watch

Nolo is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday night and could reach major hurricane strength by the weekend.

A Hurricane Watch remains in effect for Hawaii County. Hurricane force winds possible for parts of Hawaii Island along the SE slopes.

The biggest concern is rainfall. The Big Island could see 15–20 inches, with locally up to 35 inches possible. Maui could see 5–10 inches, with locally up to 20 inches.

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That much rain could trigger catastrophic, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep terrain. Storm surge and damaging waves are possible.This is the time to prepare — before conditions deteriorate. Stay tuned to the latest updates as Nolo’s track and strength become clearer.

View the latest weather conditions here.

Download the HNN Weather app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for the latest updates from your First Alert Weather Team: chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins and weather anchors Guy Hagi, Dan Cooke, Ben Gutierrez, and Billy V.

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